Hiking Back Packs...Your recommendations

I would like to know if Doug is ever going to review various back packs in the future? It is one very important item for when you are in the wilderness as it carries all your gear etc. What do you use in emergencies? What do you use for day hiking? week long hikes? Expeditions? etc etc. It is a topic that greatly interests me as I would like to buy a multi-day Back PAck to hike with. It must be internal frame though. Thanks for your input in anticipation.

This is a huge topic and I am not surprised that it hasn't been addressed on this site. There are a lot of variables involved, many of which are highly personal. There are also a lot of brands and many models available. These are constantly changing.<br><br>With internal frames, which is the most versatile and adaptable type to own (my opinion), a key factor is how well the pack fits. The only way to determine this is to try one on. This is best done in a good store with knowledgable sales people. This is especially important if you are looking at the larger packs, 4000 cu in and up.<br><br>I myself have around eight packs lying around the house, not counting my daughter's book packs. Each works best in particular situations, but I am always in the market for something just a little better.<br><br>In purchasing, be aware that many products have numerous bells and whistles that are designed more to appeal in the store than to provide real utility out in the woods. Generally these features just add weight, clutter, and expense. Keep it simple.<br><br>Check recent issues of Backpacker, Climbing, and Rock and Ice magazines for fairly objective evaluations of current offerings. Try renting before you buy.

I was also wondering about reviews like Boots, Sleeping bags and jackets. To my knowledge there are no reviews on them on this site. If so prob because its changing all the time.<br>Reinhardt

I think that's the key- boots and packs are as personal, and subject to personal preference, as knives... and that makes them all sort of loaded subjects for discussion. Unlike knives, though, the selection of boots and packs changes constantly and quickly. Particular models that are reviewed are likely to be unavailable by the time thourough testing is complete.<br><br>Besides, unlike most of the things that are reviewed here, there are plenty of sources for information on packs and boots elsewhere. I'm not sure that Doug & Co. would be much interested in devoting thier time to a field that Backpacking Magazine has already made an industry out of.<br>

from the perspective of preparedness rather than sport the requirements of a back are somewhat different. For the short term interruptions of normal that we discuss here (this is not a survivalist site) the use of a back pack would be primarily to carry enough essentials to get out of reach of the disaster or to the shelter and help you make it through until help arrives. For this pupose capacity is more important that weight or comfort. When considering "bugging out" likely scenarios that are not TEOTWAWKI include hazmat spills, storms and floods. With proper planning we should be able to take a vehicle out of such situations. Most other scenarios are more likely to result in "bugging in" If you pack your bug-out bag in a set of cargo packs that can be carried by your family (one each) for a few miles and add to that a small boat and bicycles and keep them near the 4X4 in a shed or if too urban for the shed keep the packs in the garage or 4X4 then you will be ready to grab-n-go while others are still figuring out what they will need. You should be able to get on the road and out or the impact zone in your vehicle. If you are caught un-awares you can don your packs and start walking. This is not recreational hiking with a light pack - this is evacuation with a cargo pack - you won't be in the woods but on the roads. A good suggestion in this sort of situation would be a wheeled hand cart that you could drag / push down the road. If there is significant social disruption AKA riots and you can't safely bug-in then drop as much gear as you can and hit the road extremely light. In this situation stealth and speed are mandatory. In all of these situations the overlap between preparedness and hiking gear is coincidental. <br><br>From the perspective of backpacking and other sports the requirements vary. I would think that if you enter the woods well prepared for a multi-day hike then you have properly prepared for whatever contingencies you might encounter in that environment. Of course this means that by the standards proposed by most other hikers you will be overloaded. Here more than anywhere else you make the trade between gear - knowledge/skill - weight. knowing how to make a friction fire allows you to lighten up you pack. knowing how to hunt and gather allows you to lighten your pack. knowing how to cook over an open fire allows you to lighten you pack. OTH having an MSR whisper-light, espresso star and maker, MSR titan fuel bottles and cookset adds about 3 lbs but makes dinner and camp much more comfortable. In decent weather a mesh hammock and fleece blanket can provide shelter for less than a pound but don't get caught in a rain. Add another pound for tarp and your good at 2 pounds for summer - go into the mountains or out in winter and you will carry 7 pounds of shelter and like it. - or you could get good at debris huts and snow shelters....<br><br>If you cook over open friction started fire hunted and gathered food and sleep in debris huts in your clothes and like that for comfort then I would bet you could be fine with nothing more than a butt-pack and holster.<br><br>If you skill level and comfort requirements are similar to mine you will have a difficult time keeping your pack capacity below 2500 ci and weight below 45 pounds. YMMV

I guess one of the problems is that different countries/continents are likely to have so many different manufacturers, each producing for local but maybe not regional/international markets.<br><br>Justin

I agree with you. Also, requirements vary dramatically from one area and/or season to another. We all probably have multiple numbers of boots, and probably at least two or three sleeping bags, although we could all name a particular boot/bag/ jacket that is particularly versatile, durable, and useful.

Howdy,<br><br>I am aware of this fact. What I was also really after is what packs forumites personally use for particular activities. For example I have a 33lt Billabong Day Pack for Day hikes etc. And for a 4 day hike I use XYZ, because.....etc. etc. This is the info I would really be interested in. Thanks again.

So now what do you personally use for Day hikes, 3-5 Day hikes etc.? I am well aware that this is not a survivalist site. I never suggested that it was. I want to know what people here use to store emergency/survival equipment, and what type of packs and also preferably brands they use and recommend for hiking, camping etc. Thank you.

Thor,<br> Sorry if I offended. Just trying to keep focus on the forum. To answer directly, I use a duffle for the preparedness stuff in my jeep, a set of very large surplus rucks from italy for Bug-Out bags for my wife myself and my kids. I don't expect that the kids will be able to carry them full or far but they are large enough.<br><br>For extended hiking I take a medium Alice - unlike some others here, I like the alice I hike mostly in the White Mtn's of NH. I just packed it and weighed it and It comes in at just over 45 pounds without water.<br><br>For day Hikes I have a camelback blowfish which works for me.<br><br>I believe that a large alice might be better for the BOB than the medium that I use for hiking but the large italian surplus rucks are actually larger than the large alice. Those are very large. No frame. no pads on sholder or hip belts. They can be lugged or strapped on and you can carry a bunch for a short distance. They are more lugage than they are backpacks but the usage scenario I envision is quite different as I said.

<< unlike some others here, I like the alice >><br><br>Brad, et al:<br><br>As one of the "ALICE haters" <grin>... My extreme dislike of the frame colors my comments about the ALICE system. As circumstances would have it, I always had the large ALICE, although I own a medium and occasionally use it (modified) sans-frame. A large ALICE ruck (modified) has ridden many years on a Freighter frame on my back as well, although it is not my first choice in most circumstances.<br><br>There are a lot of things that I like about much of the system. The simple quick-release on the shoulder straps is very good. In general I prefer the no-zipper construction like the ALICE, and the original issue inclusion of variously-sized waterproof bags was a real boon. There are some things a person can do to "improve" the ALICE rucks, but in the past I became convinced that tinkering with the frame was a waste of time. I now have tooling/fabrication capabilities far beyond what I had several years ago, and if I had time, I might take another look at that.<br><br>The rucks are very durable and fairly versitile with a number of user-friendly features. Attachment points for other ALICE-type gear is a really under-rated and unappreciated good point IMO. The large ALICE ruck, IMHO, can easily be overloaded to a point that adversely affects one's balance - not a pre-ordained outcome, but these take extra care in distributing heavy cargo. <br><br>The frame... shoulder straps are good. The original belt-backband slightly impeded my stride and the back band broke with alarming regularity and quite painful consequences. The later-model integrated belt-backband greatly impeded my stride. The geometry, cantilevered off the back to reduce heat rash in SE Asia, is an intrisic feature that I just will not accept for any significant distance/load. The geometry exacerbates the front-to-back depth of the pack. It's impossible to get that kind of volume without raising or widening the pack - increasing the front-to-back depth was the only way. Misguided; US soldiers have carried far too much gear since and including WWII. Soldiering is not a backpacking sport... but I digress.<br><br>If a person can obtain a surplus ALICE setup in good condition with all the components at a low cost, I believe that they have a very high value as BoB packs. They're also great values for short trips and moderate loads. Of course it is possible to use them for extended trips and/or heavy loads - I attest to that. But I have better gear for those uses... and of course, that better gear costs more and I freely admit that it lacks a few features that I like about ALICE gear. I'll NEVER miss those ALICE frames, though!<br><br>Hopefully my last post about un-modified ALICE gear <grin>!<br><br>Regards,<br><br>Tom<br><br><br><br>

I'm certain that you have put more mileage on the alice than I. I work within a budget and the alice fits my frame somewhat better than you I would suspect. The belt has never been an impedance to my stride and I have made use of the area in the small of the back to hold a 4 liter platypus quite snugly. I do not overload the pack and that may have something to do with my apreciation of it. I haven't made much use of the ability to attach things to the pack other than the gas cans for my MSR stove. They hang between the outer pockets comfortably and don't rattle or swing about. <br><br>I will agree with the problem you mentioned with the depth of the pack front to back. I have been toppled by it on a couple of occasions because the weight is so far out from my body in the back. I found that I could overcome this by packing the wieght higher and thus closer to my center-line. Hanging the bedroll from the bottom of this pack is a disaster since it will be a heavy weight hanging cantilevered about 8 inches out from you butt. With the bedroll on top I find that things work much better - that might be a bit tall with a fully loaded large alice though.<br><br>I am 5'8" 170 pounds and in moderate condition.

Thor,<br>I use an Arcteryx Bora 80 for multi-day trips, and an Arcteryx Bora 40 for day/1 night hikes. Although on the more expensive side, I don't regret spending the money. These packs are well made and comfortable. The Bora 80 is fully adjustible, and comes in three frame/torso sizes to accomodate just about anyone. My suggestion to you would be to visit a few outdoor shops and try out various makes and models. Add 30-40 pounds and walk around the store awhile. Then get whichever one/s feel "right". Hope this helps.

You've worked out the things I would have suggested and the bottom line is you like it because it works for you. Can't go wrong with that!